Tag Archive: pattern

March 15th, 2011
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How Lead Crystal Is Made

By Bonnie Spring

Composition

Lead crystal glass is made from a mixture of sand, potash and lead oxide. The type of lead crystal glass is determined by a British specification (BS 3828: 1964) for each type. Lead crystal glass contains a minimum lead oxide content of 24% and is produced primarily for its beauty of appearance. Full lead crystal glass contains higher amounts of lead oxide usually not less than 30%. This higher content of lead oxide enhances the beauty of the item but it is more costly to manufacture.

The Glass Workshop

The workshop where the lead crystal glass making is done is an interesting scene. Workers are stationed in groups around the furnace where the glass is melted. Each group is known as a “chair” and consists of 4 or 5 persons: The “workman”, who is the principal, two who are known as “foot maker” and “servitor” – and one or two boys who are employed in what we would call “gofer” positions. A certain part of the work is assigned to each member of the group, according to the design of the item on which the “chair” is making.

Any lead crystal figurine or other piece begins as a ball of molten glass. This ball is drawn from the pot on the end of a blow-iron, which is a steel tube about 4 ft. long. It is constantly rotated in order to distribute the glass evenly. The molten glass is rolled on a polished iron table to smooth the surface. The glassworker now blows through the tube and the hot glass forms into a hollow sphere. By turning, tilting and swinging the molten glass on the tube the shape begins to develop. The glass is further created as the iron is rolled up and down on the arms of the glassmaker’s chair. Few tools are used in this process – a steel pincers, calipers, shears, wooden measuring sticks and clappers. Once a stem and foot are added to the piece being made it is transferred for further working to steel rod called a pontil, the end of which it is attached by a blob of hot glass. The glass is re-melting before excessive glass is sheared away from the item being made and any final touches are given. The still glowing article is cracked off the rod, dropped into a carrying case and transported to a “lehr” or annealing oven.

Annealing

The annealing oven is a long chamber through which the glass is slowly carried, passing little by little from a high temperature to the ambient temperature of the workshop. This is necessary because the glass could cool too rapidly and shatter the item being created. When removed from the lehr, each article undergoes an examination for any defects. An instrument utilizing polarized light is used to reveal any imperfect annealing.

Cutting

Cutting is one of the more critical processes and calls for a very high degree of skill. Cutting is done by holding the lead crystal figurine against the edge of a revolving cutting wheel. The glass is carefully guided to produce some of the lovely and complex patterns that are possible. The number of patterns is infinite and in combination creates some beautiful effects. The pattern which has been designated on the glass “blank” by specially trained workers, is first roughly cut by the carborundum wheel. The glass is now ready for polishing.

Polishing

Polishing is done by placing the glass into a vat containing a mixture of hydrofluoric and sulphuric acid for about a minute. It is then thoroughly rinsed and the glass transforms into sparkling pieces of crystal.

This is the process that virtually any piece of lead crystal glass goes through before it becomes a beautiful piece of art. Throughout the years little in the process has changed.

About the Author: Bonnie Spring is writer and administrator for aa href=”http://Kbkgifts.com” title=”http://Kbkgifts.com” target=”_blank” rel=’nofollow’>http://Kbkgifts.com, where you can find beautiful crystal.

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March 1st, 2011
post by energy-saving-light-bulbs | | 0

Using Swarovski Crystal Beads to Make a Swarovski Crystal Bracelet

By Adam Hunter

Swarovski crystal beads have been perpetual favourites in jewellery making for over 100 years and their appeal is still as strong today as it was back in Victorian times. These pretty, iridescent crystals catch the light and come in a complete spectrum of colours. They can be incorporated into a wide range of jewellery making projects, but are particularly beautiful when woven into a bracelet.

By interlocking a series of loops incorporating seed beads, pearl beads and Swarovski crystal beads, you can build up a complex looking but simple to make bracelet. By simply passing the needle back through a sequence of beads, a circle is formed that can be linked to a series of similar patterns that come together to create a mesh of beads. Because of the luminescence of the surface of the crystals, this pleasing pattern catches the light beautifully and can look dazzling with more formal eveningwear. To really complete the ensemble, why not create a matching choker picking up the pearl and crystal theme of the bracelet?

For less formal wear, Swarovski crystal beads can be used to create more fun and casual jewellery, including a simple crystal charm bracelet. Adding crystal beads of different colours to a simple charm bracelet type chain gives you an instant mood enhancer even on the dullest of days! These simple bracelets are ideal for little girls, as the crystal beads come in such a huge spectrum of colours that there are bound to be some in your child’s favourite tones. As Swarovski crystal beads are very cheap to buy and easy to use, you can even encourage your children to join in and create their own jewellery. It can start a lifetime love of jewellery making and it’s rare to find a little girl who doesn’t love creating her own jewellery from beads, so why not encourage that creativity?

The simple charm bracelet pattern also has the advantages of being infinitely variable. If you tire of a certain colour combination, all you have to do is remove the crystal beads and replace them with a new colour scheme.

Swarovski crystal beads can also be used as feature beads in bead-loom work. To do this you may have to allow for a certain amount of displacement of the flat-woven seed beads, so it’s best to sketch your design first on grid paper (with each square representing a seed bead to give you a concept of the pattern). This way you can see exactly where in the design your Swarovski crystals will sit and how many seed beads you will have to omit from the pattern to compensate for the displacement and keep the bracelet from distorting.

Swarovski crystal beads have been used in jewellery making for over a century and their continued popularity is testament to the sheer quality and range of jewellery you can design incorporating these iridescent gems. Cheaper than using semi-precious or even precious stones, Swarovski crystals bring a dazzling sparkle to any type of jewellery, even formal eveningwear styles. They can be used to liven up simple jeans and tee shirt or give you a touch of glamour and individualism at work. Through their sheer versatility, it’s no wonder that they remain a perennial favourite in jewellery making.

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